US President Donald Trump praised Türkiye's growing military capabilities during a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, calling the country "a very powerful" military force and crediting Erdoğan's leadership for its rise.

"Türkiye has become, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a very powerful country militarily. People don't know how powerful, actually," Trump said as the two leaders met on the sidelines of the NATO summit, The Caspian Post reports.

Trump also described Erdoğan as "a respected leader all over the world," saying the two have enjoyed a strong personal relationship and "good chemistry" since they first began working together.

The US president highlighted Türkiye's extensive defense capabilities, noting that the country operates a significant amount of US-made military equipment. He said the longstanding relationship between Washington and Ankara has helped strengthen cooperation in key strategic areas.

Trump noted that the leaders' discussions focused on expanding bilateral trade, deepening military cooperation, and addressing regional security challenges, with Iran high on the agenda.

Speaking about recent US military actions involving Iran, Trump claimed Washington had "essentially decimated" Iran's military capabilities and reiterated that Tehran "cannot have a nuclear weapon."

Trump also underscored the importance of US-Türkiye economic ties, saying both nations produce "great things" and have benefited from decades of trade and cooperation.

Wrapping up his remarks, Trump expressed confidence that the meeting with Erdoğan would deliver positive results and further strengthen the strategic partnership between the United States and Türkiye.